The sometimes-lengthy process of weighing development proposals in North Vancouver and uncertain outcome of those decisions is one of the factors that's leading to delays in a rebuild of Argyle secondary.
The school district is counting on cash from several land sales to provide about $9 million needed for the project to go ahead. Those sales agreements are contingent on developers winning approval of their projects from the District of North Vancouver council - which this week nixed a development plan for the former Braemar school site. (see story this page) Before the province will even consider letting the school district borrow money for the project, the school district must also pay back a remaining $6.2 million of debt to finance rebuild projects of Sutherland secondary in 2007 and Westview elementary in 2009.
The ability to do that is tied to a $5.1-million land sale contingent on approval of another development proposal - for the site of the former Ridgeway Annex in the City of North Vancouver.
"The ministry is watching very carefully how we proceed through our land management strategy. That will be key," said Georgia Allison, secretary-treasurer for the school district.
Allison said she's not worried that the school project is in jeopardy, but added the public process involved in the development deals means "everything takes time."
A seismic upgrade for Argyle was announced prior to the last provincial election. Last fall, North Vancouver school trustees opted to ask the province for authority to completely rebuild the school instead - at an additional cost of anywhere from $9 million to $15 million. Since then, however, there has been no formal agreement to proceed.
With 18 to 24 months required to complete a design and a further two years for construction, a new school is at least four years away - after it's approved.
School trustee Barry Forward said he's not happy about delays in getting the project off the ground. "Someone entering Grade 8 (this year) will never see a new school," he said.
Forward added that since earthquake risk is one of the compelling reasons for the new school, every delay means "another year we're putting (students) in a substandard facility."
Another potential stumbling block for the project is a provincial policy announced this spring requiring all school districts running a surplus to contribute up to half of the cost of new capital projects if they have cash.
Up until now, the province has funded major school capital projects.
Since then, the North Vancouver Board of Education has written to the province, asking the Minister of Finance to repeal that decision.
Allison said she doesn't know if the province will be asking the school board to come up with more cash under that policy.
Forward said the policy amounts to the province penalizing school districts that have been financially responsible instead of properly funding projects.
"We are one of the financially sound school districts in the province," he said. "When's the province stepping in? "This is about public education. You either fund our infrastructure or you don't."
